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Blue Origin blames New Glenn rocket explosion on faulty valve

Investigators say a faulty oxygen valve in the BE-4 engine triggered the May 28 explosion that destroyed the rocket and damaged launch pad infrastructure.

·1 min read·4 outlets
Photo via U.S. Space Force photo by Gwendolyn Kurzen / Public domain

The short version

Blue Origin says a faulty oxygen valve caused the explosion of its New Glenn rocket during a May 28 engine test. The incident destroyed the rocket and damaged parts of the launch pad at Cape Canaveral.

Blue Origin attributed the May 28 explosion of its New Glenn rocket to a faulty valve controlling oxygen flow into one of its engines.4,2,1 The explosion occurred during a hot-fire test of the rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.3,2 The incident destroyed the New Glenn rocket and damaged key pieces of launch pad infrastructure.3,2

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp confirmed the company is continuing its investigation into the anomaly.3 The explosion happened during the evening of May 28, 2026, according to Blue Origin's update.3 Investigators traced the cause to a valve in the rocket’s BE-4 engine, which powers the New Glenn.1

Blue Origin described the explosion as catastrophic, resulting in the loss of the rocket and significant pad damage.3,2 The company has been working since May to determine the cause of the anomaly, according to its update.3,2

“Investigative work is continuing into the anomaly that happened during a hot-fire test of the rocket during the evening of May 28, 2026.”
Dave Limp, Blue Origin CEO3

Why it matters

  • The New Glenn is Blue Origin’s heavy-lift orbital rocket, designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and NASA’s Space Launch System.3

  • The BE-4 engine, developed by Blue Origin, uses liquid oxygen and methane as propellants and powers the New Glenn’s first stage.1

This account was written from the 4 reports listed below, filed by 4 independent outlets, and checked against them line by line. It is not a copy of any one of them. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Well corroborated4 outlets
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4 reports from 4 outlets. The numbers in the article point here.

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